Safety Recall Issued For BFGoodrich and UNIROYAL Commercial Light Truck Replacement Tires

GREENVILLE, SC--July 26, 2012: BFGoodrich^® and UNIROYAL^® tires today announced a voluntary safety recall for approximately 841,000 BFGoodrich^® Commercial T/A^® A/S and UNIROYAL^® Laredo HD/H tires in the U.S., Canada and Mexico. Two sizes of each tire are affected and they are typically found on commercial light trucks and full-sized heavy duty vans. Approximately 799,900 of these tires were sold in the U.S.

No deaths or injuries have been reported in connection with the recalled tires.

This recall, which has been reported to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA), is being taken because there is a risk to safety. A small number of the tires being recalled have experienced tread loss and/or rapid air loss, resulting from tread belt separation. This condition may increase the risk of a vehicle crash.

The customer return rate for tread and/or air loss was 0.017 percent, which equates to about 143 tires. However, any tire produced in the range of the recall could exhibit these conditions.

"We deeply apologize for the inconvenience to customers and dealers," said Mike Wischhusen, technical director. "It's our responsibility to put safety first in this matter -- as we do in every aspect of our business -- and voluntarily recalling these tires is the right thing to do."

The tires being recalled include those shown in the graph below that fall within the U.S. Department of Transportation (DOT) date ranges that appear on the tire sidewalls. The dates are represented by four numbers, with the first two digits denoting the week, and the last two digits representing the year.

The affected tires were manufactured beginning in April of 2010 and are no longer being produced. None of the recalled tires were fitted as original equipment on new vehicles and were sold only as new replacement tires.

Owners of the affected tires should take their vehicles to an authorized dealer where the tires will be replaced at no charge.

The BFGoodrich^® and UNIROYAL^® brands are owned and operated by Michelin North America, Inc.